Navy SEAL team that killed Osama bin Laden founded by Auburn graduate (Talbot)

View full sizeA pair of military boots, a bottle of whiskey and a memorial candle are placed at the base of a 9-11 memorial across the street from ground zero in New York, Tuesday, May 3, 2011. The boots and other items were placed there with a sign that reads, "Today let us pray for peace." (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Richard Marcinko, known affectionately as “Demo Dick,” includes a master’s degree in political science from Auburn on his extensive resume.

Marcinko, 70, built the Navy’s premiere counter-terrorism unit in 1980, following a tragic failure by the U.S. military to rescue a group of American hostages in Iran.

That debacle — known as Operation Eagle Claw — contributed to President Jimmy Carter’s defeat by Ronald Reagan later that year. It also highlighted the Navy’s need to upgrade its special forces capability.

Marcinko, a combat veteran in Vietnam, was tasked with creating the elite unit and served as its commanding officer from 1980-83.

Now, the company is leaning on Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange in a critical dispute with the National Labor Relations Board.

The NLRB filed a complaint against Boeing on April 20, alleging that the Chicago-based company violated federal labor law by opening an aircraft production factory in South Carolina, a right-to-work state. The labor board said that the assembly work should have gone to Boeing’s existing plant in Washington state, which is unionized and had experienced work disruptions due to strikes.

Strange is one of eight state attorneys general to sign a letter calling on the NLRB to withdraw its complaint. He described the dispute as “an incredibly important issue for Alabama as a right-to-work state.”

“In a global economy where states are competing for well-paying jobs like automobile manufacturing, whether to locate in Alabama or elsewhere is a business decision that companies make, and one driving factor is our right-to-work laws,” Strange said Tuesday. “It is essential that we maintain a favorable climate for starting and growing businesses in Alabama.”

Strange said the complaint “is a direct threat to the kind of business climate Alabama needs to recruit industry and thrive.”

Skelton joins EADS board

EADS North America, Boeing’s rival for the tanker contract, added some political firepower to its leadership team.

According to a company announcement, former U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., has been confirmed as a member of its board of directors.

Skelton, 79, served 34 years in Congress, culminating as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. He was defeated in November by Republican Vicky Hartzler.

Honor Flight today

South Alabama Honor Flight will transport a group of 89 veterans from Mobile to Washington, D.C., today to recognize them for their military service.

It’s the nonprofit organization’s fifth flight in less than two years, with a sixth already in the works for this fall.

A public reception — complete with marching bands, cheerleaders and church choirs — is planned to welcome the group back to Mobile Regional Airport at 7:30 p.m. Organizers encourage well-wishers to arrive by 6:30 p.m.

“It’s a moment not to be missed,” said Barry Booth, a co-founder of Honor Flight South Alabama. “It’s a chance to see history pass right before your eyes and pay a small tribute to those who gave so much.”